Standout LB Brian Asamoah returns to Pitt

Brian Asamoah has quickly gained a reputation as one of the Midwest’s best linebackers and defensive playmakers as he broke out in his junior season at Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis DeSales to wreak havoc on offenses. Asamoah checks in at 6-foot-1 and 205-pounds and has been offered by schools like Pitt, Michigan, UCLA, Penn State, Wisconsin, and others. He’s fresh off of a visit to Pitt for the Panthers’ junior day on February 18th, his second visit to Pitt of the recruiting process.

“I had an amazing time in Pittsburgh. It was a great morning there meeting with all of the coaches and seeing their plan for me in the near future, I’m excited,” Asamoah said. “They discussed the role I would be playing in and the academics side of things. I would be playing either the [STAR] or Money linebacker in their 4-3 base defense. I would be blitzing a lot and making plays in space.”

Asamoah’s trip to Pitt was the first since he visited in October for a game and received his offer. Since that point in time, he’s been staying in frequent contact with Pitt’s coaches and has been impressed by the growth and upside of the program.

“I’ve been talking to Pitt more often and keeping in touch with them and checking in on how they’re doing. They had a phenomenal season. Every year has its ups and downs, but a key point you could take away from that season was just the Clemson game when Pitt upset them,” Asamoah said. “The things they were able to do on defense – I just feel like they had a great season and they’re definitely heading in a great direction.”

The second trip yielded a closer examination of Pitt’s campus than what Asamoah was able to see on his first trip to the city. Pitt made sure to show him plenty of personal attention as he arrived earlier in the day than most of the crowd. The Columbus-area standout was impressed with what he saw.

“This time I was able to take a more in-depth look at all of Pitt’s facilities and practice facilities. I was able to look at how close of a relationship they have with the Steelers with them practicing next door and the type of communications that they have, from the head coach to the coordinators, there’s just a firm line of communication in every facet of the coaching staffs,” Asamoah said. “The way they engage the athletes and everything Pitt has going on is great. I talked to some academic people and took some tours of the classrooms, so it was all-in-all a great visit.”

It's been a hectic few months for the standout Ohioan as major offers have come through since he first broke through with his first Power Five offer from Pitt. Schools like Michigan, UCLA, West Virginia and Penn State have joined the fray, among a list of 15 scholarships in total, and he’s had to sort out the ensuing phone calls and visits and business from there.

“It’s crazy because since my decision isn’t made yet, I have to build relationships with each and every program. So basically I’m just talking to every school the same and trying to network and balance out school and a relationship with the coaches,” Asamoah said. “It’s been wild, but it’s fun at the same time… The fact that [Pitt] offered early really means a lot. They took a shot and they were my second offer, so it really means a lot. It sits well with me for sure.”

Panther-Lair.com will continue to have coverage of Asamoah’s recruitment as Pitt and other programs vie for his services, so stay tuned. A trip to UCLA could be in short order for Asamoah and his offer list also expanded following his visit to Pitt when West Virginia offered shortly afterwards. Check out his highlights below: